Thirteen was released here in Europe today so I've been spinning it for the past 4 or so hours. So far I'm really enjoying it. I think it holds up well against the albums they've released since 2004 although it is obviously no match for records like Rust In Peace, Killing is My Business, and Countdown To Extinction. I was never as big of a fan of Endgame as a lot of other people (although I do like it a lot) so I have a feeling some will see this album as a step down from it's predecessor. I'm gonna do a track-by-track breakdown of the album but bear in mind that I only got it today so I'm sure it hasn't all sunk in yet.

Sudden Death - A decent opener, this version is largely the same as the single that was released for Guitar Hero. I might like this version a little better due to the little tweaks though. 7.5

Public Enemy No. 1 - We've all heard this one. I actually like it a lot, it has a nice groove to it that feels very reminiscent of CtE. 8.0
Whose Life (Is It Anyways?) - Another one of the songs officially released by the band about a week ago. Good vocals, good riffs. Nothing remarkable though. 7.75

We The People - The "Endgame" of this album. Very political with a great groove to it. I might not agree with what Dave has to say (I also might not even take him seriously) but I love the way he says it. I do wish there was another verse instead of just chorus repetition at the end though. 8.5
Guns, Drugs, & Money - A song about being an outlaw in Mexico. I like the lyrics to this one but the music doesn't stand out as much as I had hoped. However, this one has grown on me every time I listen to it so who knows what my final opinion of it will be. For now though, I'll give it a 7.5.

Never Dead - A great main riff here and a strong chorus too. I like the cool fade in of the guitars in the beginning. I'd like to see this one live. 8.0

New World Order - I really enjoyed the demo of this song from the Youthanasia remaster and this version is pretty similar and I'd say, with the exception of the vocals, just as good. I liked the harsher vocal tone that he had when he was younger better but this one still rocks. 8.0
Fast Lane - The guys really pick up the pace here. A great fast tune in the vein (at least lyrically) of 502. This would be great live and would be great to drive to. 8.5

Black Swan - Same song as released in 2007. Exact same vocal track. Slightly different intro. Good song, lame to include it here. 8.0 for the song, 0.0 for it's inclusion on a new album when it's only a couple years old and was already released as a finalized song.

Millennium of the Blind - The best of the previously released songs. Very different from the original and unlike a lot of Megadeth's recent material. Lyrics are strong and I like the slow vibe of this one. If you're gonna include old material, this is how it's done. As a note, I never liked the old version of Millennium. 8.5

Deadly Nightshade - Had high hopes for this one. It's solid but I'm gonna need more listens to make a better call. 7.5 for now.

13 - My favorite song off the record, dark and melancholic. Very good vocals by Dave. One of Megadeth's better post-2004 songs. Great way to end the album. 9.5

I think the best word to describe this album is solid. If you're a fan of new Megadeth then this is for you. If you hated everything since RIP than this isn't gonna change your mind.

Another fantastic Megadeth album, I've gave it enough listens to say it's a 8/10 album. I wouldn't say it's as amazing as Endgame (which needed a proper tour since it was the best since Rust In Peace), but it's great to know that Megadeth are still sticking to their roots and are coming out with solid material, take note Metallica, take fucking note.

Another fantastic Megadeth album, I've gave it enough listens to say it's a 8/10 album. I wouldn't say it's as amazing as Endgame (which needed a proper tour since it was the best since Rust In Peace), but it's great to know that Megadeth are still sticking to their roots and are coming out with solid material, take note Metallica, take fucking note.

It was short and mostly only hit B markets. They also didn't play many songs from Endgame. They only did 3 in Richmond.

Quote:

Originally Posted by illuminatus917

Yeah, I think they only played 3 or 4 in Myrtle Beach.

I don't get why Megadeth tours their new albums like this. It's like they insist that no one cares for the new album so they only play 2 songs from it and after it's touring cycle they forget about that album all together. Megadeth sets would be more interesting if they would pull out some post Cryptic Writings material that isn't from the newest album. I would like to hear Blackmail the Universe or Back in the Day at some point.

It did, but not a serious tour, the UK didn't even get one fucking tour date, and Endgame was one of my favourite albums of the time, so obviously I was seriously disappointed, and now days, they only seem to play 'Headcrusher' from that album, which to me, is one of the weakest of the album.